"When Tulsa authorities pulled the 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that had come to be known as Miss Belvedere from a sealed concrete time capsule after 50 years, revealing a zero-mileage car caked with mud and shot through with rust, it immediately became the most notorious 1957 Plymouth Belvedere on the planet. Notorious, however, does not always translate to valuable or desirable, and as a result, Miss Belvedere sits largely forgotten on the floor of a New Jersey warehouse, unwanted by just about everybody.

"The hype surrounding the retrieval of Miss Belvedere, as the car became known, was inescapable in the summer of 2007. Just about every media outlet from CNN to the Podunk Times covered the speculation about the Belvedere’s condition, whether it would start up on command after being pulled from its sarcophagus, who would get the car, and what they would do with it. Boyd Coddington, then at (or at least near) the peak of his popularity, was even on hand for its unveiling that June, but as the layers of plastic wrapped around the car to protect it from moisture damage and oxidation were peeled back, it quickly became evident that water had flooded the vault during the Belvedere’s subterranean sentence, covered it in a mud mixed with all the chemicals that had leaked out of the car over the decades, and possibly destroyed it. Looking to put a positive spin on the debacle, the Tulsa Historical Society displayed the car alongside other relics from the time capsule in a temporary exhibit, and visitors came in respectable numbers to see the car in person.
When the car was buried in 1957, Tulsa residents were given a chance to win the car by correctly guessing the population of the city in 2007. The man who had come closest to guessing the actual population of 382,457 was Raymond Humbertson, who had died in 1979. His wife had also died by then, so ownership of the car went to an older sister named Catherine, but at age 93 her days of driving (or taking physical possession of a rusted 1957 Plymouth) were behind her. Catherine’s younger sister, LeVeda, then age 85, was also named as an owner, but LeVeda died in November 2010. That leaves three actual owners of Miss Belvedere today: Catherine, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday (and still has a rusty Schlitz beer can, pulled from Miss Belvedere’s trunk); her nephew, Robert Carney; and his sister, M.C. Kesner.

"Carney, in turn, handed Miss Belvedere over to Dwight Foster of Ultra One, a New Jersey manufacturer of a rust-removing chemical that’s claimed to be safe for the surfaces (like paint) beneath the oxidation. In November 2007, with the approval of the car’s owners, Miss Belvedere was shrink-wrapped and shipped to Ultra One’s warehouse in Hackettstown to begin a process of de-rusting and preservation. At first, it was believed that Miss Belvedere’s engine could be saved and restored to run again, and that her lights could be wired to provide a dramatic touch for display. Foster even procured a 1957 Plymouth Savoy as a donor car, and work began in earnest. Miss Belvedere’s leaf springs, which had long since rusted through in the acidic water of the time capsule, were replaced with donor springs from the Savoy. The Ultra One process removed a significant amount of the car’s exterior rust, and in 2009 pictures began to circulate showing Miss Belvedere in a superficial state of preservation.

"Shortly after those images circulated, however, Miss Belvedere dropped off the public’s collective radar, and classic car enthusiasts were left wondering what had become of the wayward Plymouth. When the New York Times caught up with Foster in 2010, they described Miss Belvedere as “more rust than bucket” and quoted Foster as saying that the offer to de-rust the car was a promotional stunt. Late last year, news surfaced that Foster, with Carney’s permission, was attempting to donate the car to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. While it’s known as “America’s attic,” Smithsonian representatives told Foster that they do not see it as “America’s garage,” and the offer was rebuffed, leaving Foster in continued possession of the car. The city of Tulsa also turned down Foster’s request to send it back home for public display, noting that the cost to retrieve a rusted and useless car from an old tomb (and, presumably, the giant letdown experienced collectively by the town) still left a bitter taste in some residents’ mouths.

"As Miss Belvedere sits today, its condition remains largely unchanged since 2009, with all of the reasonable preservation work done that could be done. From a distance, the car almost looks presentable, but up close it becomes evident that the damage is irreversible. Foster compares the car’s frame to papier mâché, admitting that “there are spots I could put my hand through if I’m not careful.” Utilizing the frame from the donor Plymouth Savoy would be an option if Miss Belvedere were stronger, but the car’s sheetmetal is in equally poor condition, especially in the rear. While the exterior has been cleaned, the interior of the body is still caked with mud, and as Foster said, “this is actually shoring up the body panels.” The car’s laminated safety glass is damaged beyond repair after water seeped between the glass and plastic layers during the car’s years in storage. While the steering was functional at first, the steering box is “melted inside,” the result of years of corrosion, and none of its electrical systems are even close to functioning. Even transporting the car to another location would be a major undertaking, given Miss Belvedere’s fragile condition.

"Foster admits that he has somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000 invested in Miss Belvedere’s preservation, but he’s equally clear that the car is still the property of Robert Carney, his sister and their aunt Catherine. While Carney did not respond to our request for comment, his sister, M.C., did, and said that she would like to see the car returned to Oklahoma for permanent display. With little interest from the city of Tulsa, that’s not likely to happen, but Foster remains hopeful that another museum will show interest in the car. The Smithsonian is clearly off the list of potential museums willing to take possession, but Foster is hoping that the AACA Museum (or a similar institution) has an interest in the car, which exists in an odd void between collector car and historical artifact. As a vintage car, its value is minimal, but as a slice of mid-century Americana, Miss Belvedere is potentially invaluable, particularly if displayed with the other rusted relics from the Tulsa time capsule.

"Until Foster finds a museum or other sympathetic caretaker willing to embrace Miss Belvedere, however, it sits in a corner of the Ultra One warehouse, free from its watery tomb but no less trapped in time and place."

Where its at, have given up and stopped work and the owners are trying to get it into a museum (Does not say if donated or sold though) and the museums dont seem to want it.

I wonder if you contacted the owners now, how much they would sell it for?

This would be a better end (I think)

I hope John (Big M), does not mind me useing his business as an example, but what a drawcard that car could be, the tourist side (As someone has mentioned before) could be a nice sideline and the price of 57 plymouth scrap peices could esculate as useless parts are sold off as souvaneers of the visit to Miss Belvie

You are joking, about its present condition, huh, being "more presentable" than the way it looked when freshly removed from
The Vault?

NOW, it is just another common, wasted vintage car.

Before, it was a wondrously detriorated unique artifact (representing a lot of things, not the least of which was ca. 1957 optimism
and the results from the lack of attention to detail in sealing that Vault against water intrusion).

I guess that you had to BE there, to appreciate the impact of its tactile appearance...it had a powerful presence, in-person.

Like a skilled Old School ecdysiast, her patina hid what was lying beneath, and led you to wonder what
her 'skin' was really like.

What Ultra One has done is just clean off the surface rust. This is not a solid car by any means. The metal is thoroughly rusted to the point that anyone could punch a hole in any panel they choose. I know this because I visited the car in NJ a few years ago. The body has the structural integrity of a Ritz cracker.

What's done is done. Who here would be willing to donate some money ($20??) to a fund that would be used to pay for moving this fragile object to a museum willing to take the car in exchange for a one time endowment of $$ I don't know how much it would take.00 so the car would live on in a protected environment?

When I viewed it, my first thought was "I wonder how the car looks under all that muck, crud, and grime?" I did not find any allure to the muck, crud, and grime. I think Ultra One answered that question and I for one am glad they did.

I can appreciate the point of view of people (such as the Good Bishop) who say the way it came out of the ground is the genuine article; don't touch a thing. From there, it is all a matter of degrees: Coddington's crew already busted out a window and bent the trunk in half and someone cleaned a swipe on that bumper.

So Ultra One cleaned off all the grime and fixed the springs so it doesn't drag on the ground? In my opinion, it looks a lot more presentable and still tells the story of the car and the vault failure. How far is too far? Once you start replacing the frame and getting the car running and driving with a new interior - the story of the car and the vault failure gets dimmer and dimmer.

But that whole discussion doesn't even matter. Whether they cleaned it or left it exactly the way it was, people have just lost interest. That's the way it goes. If it had been as we hoped and the car emerged from the vault in pristine condition - everything would have been different. This gold and white 1957 Plymouth might have been the new bright darling of the Forward Look with multiple outrageous sales and clones everywhere.

If we are lucky, this car will somehow survive forgotten and in darkness to gain new fame in 43 short years after the sting of disappointment wears off.

I actually think if it came out pristine, it would have ended up forgotton in someones collection long ago.

How many of those cars that were in the auction 6 months or so ago can you think of off the top of your head?

Same thing in a way, just stored above ground.

Miss Belvies notoriety (I think) is purely from the shock/dissapointment of what was found.

I still think that there is money to be made from the tourist industry with that car, all it needs is to get into the public eye again with the whole story.

A clever auther can paint a very good mental picture in the minds of people in a short advertisement to make people that have no real interest want to see what the whole thing was about, even a movie?

Actually, I think a great movie could be made from the story of this car, starting with the hopes and dreams of the people involved with the time capsule, a few fill in scenes showing the changes happening over the 50 years until the day finally arrives for the time capsule to be finally opened and so on.

Then, of coarse, miss belvies notoriety would be extended further with new or existing mechandising rights also making a killing.

I don't know why Tulsa wouldn't want te car. I think it is just really sad. This is the car that got me into these I had never heard of one until I was watching them unbury it on TV and after I seen it I wanted to see what a restored one looked like. After that I was hooked.

I said at the time that the car should be crushed sympathetically when it came out of the vault looking like Swiss cheese. Nothing has changed my mind about that in the intervening 7 years. Coddrington and the boys should have realized that it wasn't going to be an easy fix when they lifted the car out of the vault and left behind pieces of rusty broken leaf spring. I saw it and shook my head sadly. Somebody should have just loaded it onto a flat bed and towed it to the scrap metal yard and put it out of its misery instead of taking it to the convention center. If one wanted to do so, one could have played "Taps" as it was being returned to its constituent elements.That's really all it's good for now. Because of the corrosion it's too fragile to move and it would be pointless to even think you could slide in a sound frame underneath to make it a rolling chassis; the sheet metal would crumble at your touch. It's gone. Let it die in peace.

Here's an idea, maybe they should drop it off somewhere remote and let it rot in a field, just about like most other FWLK-cars that are being found these days.
The US has been very 'effective' of letting American history rot into the ground over the years.

Regardless of the state of the car, these days, it simply tells about a moment or period in time when something happened, what went wrong in the process and what the outcome is.
It's become a part of history. For this reason alone the 'evidence' should be saved.
Unless, of course, you rather like to see that piece of history crushed and deleted aswell, and only to be found back in books or internet of course.

Now that it is cleaned up a bit, I think they paint some information on the sides:

"1957 - 2007 Tulsarama Plymouth"
"XX original miles from the factory"
"Winner: Raymond Humbertson with a guess of ___,___"
"Actual Population of Tulsa in 2007: 382,457"
"Owners: Catherine _________ and LaVeda __________"

Stuff like that. It would help tell the story and might help preserve the car.

I thought this whole thing was long gone, but got a mysterious e-mail saying "someone" at Forward Look wanted me to reset my password. Smelling more rotting tuna than hooker convention, I thought "try logging on with my existing stuff" and sure enough here I am, happy as a clam to see Miss B has not been forgotten. I too would like to see the ol' girl preserved, WITH the story of how it got this way no matter who gets a little embarrassed - after all, the car didn't specify that ridiculous top-seal "vault". Personally, I'd like to see it sitting next to the nearly-identical car that has been preserved near-new in, I believe, Branson MO; that would be the car used to test the lifting apparatus prior to Miss B's exhumation. And next to them? The 1997 Plymouth Prowler buried above-ground in Tulsa, due to be unearthed in 2047. Go Miss B!

You wanna stir up a whole lot of interest in what happens to Miss Belvie? Bring it to me to put in my collection of junk as a tourist attraction. . You would have a whole lot of whiners wanting her then.

Personally, I don't think Ultra One should have messed with it, but if the top pic is factual, they did indeed remove a lot of rust. Why doesn't some one ( museum) want it? there is not another story like it in the world.................................

Just had an idea. The actual owners should put it on e-bay. Ultra one got all the advertising they deserve so they should not share in the proceeds. Let the ones that want it crushed bid on it!..........................MO

MOPAR-TO-YA - 2014-04-28 2:37 AM You wanna stir up a whole lot of interest in what happens to Miss Belvie? Bring it to me to put in my collection of junk as a tourist attraction. . You would have a whole lot of whiners wanting her then. Personally, I don't think Ultra One should have messed with it, but if the top pic is factual, they did indeed remove a lot of rust. Why doesn't some one ( museum) want it? there is not another story like it in the world................................. Just had an idea. The actual owners should put it on e-bay. Ultra one got all the advertising they deserve so they should not share in the proceeds. Let the ones that want it crushed bid on it!..........................MO

Hey I don't want to see it (respectfully) crushed that bad if you're going to make me pay for the priviledge. LOL I woildn't pay even one penny to get my hands on that crumbly metal. You fellows want to put it in a museum more power to ya.

Hey I don't want to see it (respectfully) crushed that bad if you're going to make me pay for the priviledge. LOL I woildn't pay even one penny to get my hands on that crumbly metal. You fellows want to put it in a museum more power to ya.

I call B.S. !!! If someone would bring it to you, you would take it in 1/2 a heartbeat!! If you truely are a Mopar man , you better see who owns your soul !. ( I hope you know I'm jokeing)...............................MO

If people would PAY money to see "Trees of Mystery"....they dayuum sure would get out of their cars and spend moolah to see Ms. Belvie, in her UN-cleaned-up condition, displayed in a cut-away 'vault diorama', somewhere along Route 66.

Neil, If you haven't done so already--make sure in your will to get your vault completely sealed and waterproof. And to dig you up in 50 years-see how well you are preserved! I will plan to attend the un-veiling. ...........................MO

This is really sad on how the car turned out. I have been wondering why did Tulsa think about putting the car in an above ground time capsule instead? Oh well whats done is done you cannot go back and change things but there are times I wish you could.

I said at the time that the car should be crushed sympathetically when it came out of the vault looking like Swiss cheese. Nothing has changed my mind about that in the intervening 7 years. Coddrington and the boys should have realized that it wasn't going to be an easy fix when they lifted the car out of the vault and left behind pieces of rusty broken leaf spring. I saw it and shook my head sadly. Somebody should have just loaded it onto a flat bed and towed it to the scrap metal yard and put it out of its misery instead of taking it to the convention center. If one wanted to do so, one could have played "Taps" as it was being returned to its constituent elements.That's really all it's good for now. Because of the corrosion it's too fragile to move and it would be pointless to even think you could slide in a sound frame underneath to make it a rolling chassis; the sheet metal would crumble at your touch. It's gone. Let it die in peace.

I would be with you on this except there are a few salvable parts on that thing. Get those free, then yeah, crush away. Hell I'll even pull the handle.

the sad truth is this car was nothing more than a publicity stunt for what in my mind is one of the worst places on earth to be caught in, a shopping mall. Sure the car deserved better, but it's not what it got. American waste consumerism at it's best, and this car stands as a show piece to it. The crusher would be a merciful death, but only after we get her hub caps and usable glass out to put in something else that can live on on the roads.

If I owned that car, I would strengthen the bottom of the body by attaching a connecting frame to the floor joists or whatever I could, made with 1x1 square tubing. Then lift the body carefully. Repair the frame if possible, or replace it. Clean everything and rebuild the suspension & drivetrain. Spray the whole car in clear paint, or maybe just rub it down with oil. Partially replace the upholstery only enough so that you can sit on it. Then drive it to shows! This is Christine's mother, back from a deep, watery grave, ready to wreak her vengeance at car shows everywhere.

I never saw the car in person, but all the stuff I have seen and heard about it, its much more fragile than being able to re frame and go

All the metal has rusted or rusted out, you would be really lucky to find anything strong enough to bolt a frame to or weld a supporting frame to

I think its really a town relic and it would be cool if the town could think of a way to use the car as a tourist attraction, but who knows, the longer it sits where it is, the less likely anything will ever happen and it will (one day) just dissapear

I'm kinda late to this party but I just can't help expressing my sadness regarding Miss Belvedere. I don't think anyone was expecting a total disaster like this when Miss Belvedere was pulled up from the ground and it was evident that the preservation attempt fell way short.

If it were up to me, I would have deemed the car be scrapped as it had absolutely no value left. If I were in charge of what was supposed to have taken place, I would have had another 1957 Plymouth Belverdere completey restored to Miss Belvedere's specs and presented it to the winner. I know not everyone will agree but this is just my opinion.

I predicted the rusted/gone condition in a poll we did back then (no one want to believe it) , Even that I didn't know she was under water for decades.. The car is complete gone, it was evident when I saw the tarp broken and the chocolate color water dripping out..

Miss Belvidere is going to a new home and will be on display at the Historic Auto Museum in Roscoe, Illinois, and, according to the curator, should be on display by Memorial Day. This Museum is actually a pretty cool place.

Miss Belvidere is going to a new home and will be on display at the Historic Auto Museum in Roscoe, Illinois, and, according to the curator, should be on display by Memorial Day. This Museum is actually a pretty cool place.

That is some major news for us FL people that was at the un-earthing. Could you give us more info ? How you found this out and links that cover it. I would like to know that museum come to get it............................MO

I first heard about the car going to the museum at the WPC National Meet in Springfield this summer. I emailed the curator to confirm it. They have restricted hours during the winter months and expanded hours after Memorial Da weekend. Here is their website: http://www.historicautoattractions.com. I have no idea how they managed to acquire it.

Lionhearted413 - 2016-02-24 11:51 AM I first heard about the car going to the museum at the WPC National Meet in Springfield this summer. I emailed the curator to confirm it. They have restricted hours during the winter months and expanded hours after Memorial Da weekend. Here is their website: http://www.historicautoattractions.com. I have no idea how they managed to acquire it.

The link you posted only directs one to an error message. Here is a better link to the museum's home page. It is closed through the winter months. There is no mention made on their web site of Miss Belvedere which is a little strange as one would think they would let people know that they have the car that killed Boyd Codington (alleged) The museum is located just north of Rockford, IL.